Dartington

This to notice an outing to Dartington, a couple of weeks ago now, with the visit before that looking to be a couple of years ago now, noticed at references 1 and 2. A visit which covered rather different ground.

Milk jug

After the church noticed at reference 5, we continued with the bean flavoured café near the car park. The manager of which was an enthusiastic, youngish man who explained that his café did not contain a single microwave. All the food was properly prepared and cooked on the spot and a lot of it involved things like beans and vegetables. He certainly sold me a fine slice of cake, something like a rectangular Bakewell tart without the heavy white overcoat. Clientèle seemed rather earnest; the sort of people who might engage in serious discussions far into the night. I expect one sees duffel coats there when the weather is a bit colder.

Autumn festival?

Presented to the Elmhirsts - the founding couple (see reference 2) - by the people of Dartington in 1967. Going by the decoration, perhaps now used as part of some kind of autumn festival. Perhaps the Harvest Festival, not long past. Note that this festival is primarily agricultural rather than religious and does not seem to be tied to the moon, or anything like that, in the way of Easter. Known as Thanksgiving across the water.

Moore?

All in all the gardens looked very well, with a nice mixture of formal garden and wooded park, with the outdoor sculpture not overdone and some of it rather good. Quite a lot of people wandering about who looked as if they might be on hugging courses of one sort or another - but they were balanced by a get-rich-quick-without-paying-any-tax course from the Daily Telegraph and St James Place (of reference 2) in the grand main hall. A bit of a shame that such a place should have to provide space for such operators - but I suppose the Dartington people would say that they have to make ends meet. They have to do it to pay for the hugging and other good works.

Gardens done, we moved down to the cluster of shops on another part of the estate. All very expensive, arts and crafty. Not terribly busy. We took lunch in the café there, along with all the other pensioners. My pizza was fine once it turned up - and I had removed all the slices of some very peppery green object, in shape rather like a chilli. The pottery on which the food was served was very arty, all different shapes, and which must have been a real pain in the washing up machine. After which I did some horizontal relaxation on the wooden bench provided outside, while BH ventured into one of the clothes shops. Emerging empty handed, as it were, unscathed.

Next stop the food shop, where more beans were for sale. We were able to buy some respectable looking white bread and some milk. We were also amused by some very small machines used for distilling gin, about the size of a domestic coffee machine, on view through the glass windowed corner of the shop which was used for gin making courses. Rather artisanal affairs made of soldered copper pipe and such like.

Cider press

Alcoholic bunch, as on the margins of the shopping area we also had the relic of what looked as if it had once been a very serious cider press, maybe worked with poles in the way of a capstan on one of Nelson's battleships.

On return to Holne, I took a short walk on the moor, scoring a skylark in the air and a possible greenfinch in the bushes. Just a flash of green and yellow tail.

For supper, two of the white puddings (aka groat puddings) which we had bought in Tavistock the day before, baked entire and taken with boiled potatoes, boiled carrots and boiled cabbage. Absolutely spot on, even better than the puddings noticed at reference 4 last year. Orange jelly with integral tinned peaches for desert. Also spot on. Neither dish being something one comes across in restaurants very often.

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/12/dartington-snaps.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-millionaire.html.

Reference 3: https://www.sjp.co.uk/.

Reference 4: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/10/groats.html.

Reference 5: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/10/church-snaps.html.